Lesson 3.1.5.2

3.1.5.2 Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution Quiz: AQA Chemistry, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.5.2, Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Chemistry (7405), Unit 1: Physical chemistry, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What does a Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution curve show?

    • Activation energy change
    • Molecular energy spread
    • Total collision count
    • Rate of reaction

  2. What quantity is plotted on the x-axis of a Maxwell-Boltzmann curve?

    • Reaction rate
    • Number of molecules
    • Molecular energy
    • Temperature

  3. What quantity is plotted on the y-axis of a Maxwell-Boltzmann curve?

    • Temperature
    • Number of molecules
    • Molecular energy
    • Activation energy

  4. How does the peak of a Maxwell-Boltzmann curve shift as temperature increases?

    • Left and higher
    • Right and higher
    • Right and lower
    • Left and lower

  5. Which graph region represents molecules with energy exceeding activation energy?

    • At origin
    • Under peak
    • Left of Ea
    • Right of Ea

  6. What does the total area under a Maxwell-Boltzmann curve represent?

    • Total reaction rate
    • Activation energy
    • Average temperature
    • Total molecule count

  7. Where does a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve start on a graph?

    • X-axis
    • Y-axis
    • Origin
    • Peak

  8. Which temperature sample has a higher average molecular kinetic energy?

    • 300 K
    • Both equal
    • 0 K
    • 400 K

  9. How does increasing temperature affect the fraction of molecules exceeding activation energy?

    • Drops to zero
    • Decreases
    • Remains constant
    • Increases

  10. Which change increases the number of particles exceeding the activation energy?

    • Decreasing temperature
    • Increasing temperature
    • Freezing gas
    • Constant temperature

  11. How does the peak of a Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution shift at a higher temperature?

    • Lower and left
    • Higher and left
    • Higher and right
    • Lower and right

  12. What property increases when a Maxwell–Boltzmann curve shifts to the right?

    • Total molecule count
    • Activation energy
    • Average kinetic energy
    • Collision frequency

  13. In a gas sample, what is true about the kinetic energies of individual molecules?

    • They are zero
    • They remain constant
    • They vary widely
    • They are identical

  14. For a fixed gas sample, how does the area under the Maxwell–Boltzmann curve change with temperature?

    • It increases
    • It stays constant
    • It doubles
    • It decreases

  15. What process gives a few gas molecules very high energies, creating the high-energy tail?

    • Thermal expansion
    • Molecular decay
    • Energy absorption
    • Random elastic collisions

  16. Why does the peak height of a Maxwell–Boltzmann curve decrease when a gas is heated?

    • Loss of molecules
    • Lower total energy
    • Wider energy spread
    • Higher gas density

  17. What happens to the fraction of molecules exceeding Ea during a small temperature rise?

    • Halves
    • Decreases significantly
    • Increases significantly
    • Stays constant

  18. How does a Maxwell–Boltzmann peak shift when the temperature of a gas is lowered?

    • Lower and left
    • Lower and right
    • Higher and left
    • Higher and right

  19. If a catalyst lowers the activation energy, what happens to the area under the curve beyond Ea?

    • It becomes zero
    • It decreases
    • It increases
    • It stays constant

  20. Two different gases are at the same temperature. Which property must be identical for both?

    • Mean molecular speed
    • Molar volume
    • Gas density
    • Mean kinetic energy

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